(no subject)
As ever, it's been ages since I've updated. Life is so busy, I hardly have time to breathe, let alone write here. But anyway...
Work is hectic, as always. More so than ever it seems. We have a large first year this year (well, for creative writing anyway) and it's quite exhausting getting to know lots of new people and learning how they think and write and their personalities etc. Fun though. They're a good group. In contrast, our second year is tiny, and in some ways, it's even more exhausting giving lectures to so few people because you don't get the feedback you do from a large group.
Currently I'm teaching all levels again, and am going to be tutoring an MA student very soon. This is really cool, and I'm looking forward to it very much. It's a new level of trust, I guess, to be given supervision over someone's Master's degree, and of course, my having mine qualifies me to do that now. I'm also teaching part of the Writing and Sexuality module, which is huge fun, and of course, an area of writing that I'm especially interested in, erotic writing being kind of my specialty. My other level three module is called Writing the Self, which is about autobiographical writing, which I was dreading doing because, basically, I know very little about it (the module was given to me because the original lecturer had a promotion and didn't have time to do it anymore). But it's really interesting, and I'm enjoying it lots. More importantly, the students are enjoying it too, which is a relief cos I thought they might be bored.
Writing-wise, I'm tackling a ghost story. Well, a haunted house story, more specifically. Trying to access my horror roots, but I'm trying to do something a little different with narrative in an attempt to give a new angle to an old theme. I'm writing it from several different viewpoints and in several different formats i.e. in newspaper clippings, text boxes, as interview transcripts, scenes through camera lenses and via Dictaphone dictations, as well as 'ordinary' viewpoints. I'm also writing from the ghosts' POVs and trying to create their characters as fully as the humans'. It's really hard work though, and I'm hoping I haven't bitten off more than I can chew. But it's time I experimented more with form, I feel, and this seems as good a way as any to do it.
In other news... well, other than work, having a social life and writing, there isn't much other news!!!
I'm not liking the weather here now. Good old England has reverted to type, and I've been totally soaked to the skin twice this week. So not amused. And it's horrible now it's so dark in the evenings. I've been really miserable, what with the clocks going back and PMT. This time of year sucks. And it's Christmas in two months. I would love to escape the country for Christmas, just to get away from the sheer monotony of it. Every year it's the same thing, and I don't like it much. Yeah, I'm an old Scrooge but I can't help it. For me, Christmas just hasn't been the same since the kids were young - Christmas is for kids, really, I think. Their excitement and happiness makes it sparkle. Mind you, I've been invited to a wedding on the 27th of December. One of my students is getting married and has invited me and several others of us to it. It'll be odd going to a wedding - haven't been to one in years - and even odder not to be going as part of a married couple. But it should be fun, and it's something different.
Well, that's my bi-monthly update. I'm going to listen to the fireworks going on outside the house in honour of Guy Fawkes (tomorrow's fireworks night, but they start early round here) Cheers all :-)))
Work is hectic, as always. More so than ever it seems. We have a large first year this year (well, for creative writing anyway) and it's quite exhausting getting to know lots of new people and learning how they think and write and their personalities etc. Fun though. They're a good group. In contrast, our second year is tiny, and in some ways, it's even more exhausting giving lectures to so few people because you don't get the feedback you do from a large group.
Currently I'm teaching all levels again, and am going to be tutoring an MA student very soon. This is really cool, and I'm looking forward to it very much. It's a new level of trust, I guess, to be given supervision over someone's Master's degree, and of course, my having mine qualifies me to do that now. I'm also teaching part of the Writing and Sexuality module, which is huge fun, and of course, an area of writing that I'm especially interested in, erotic writing being kind of my specialty. My other level three module is called Writing the Self, which is about autobiographical writing, which I was dreading doing because, basically, I know very little about it (the module was given to me because the original lecturer had a promotion and didn't have time to do it anymore). But it's really interesting, and I'm enjoying it lots. More importantly, the students are enjoying it too, which is a relief cos I thought they might be bored.
Writing-wise, I'm tackling a ghost story. Well, a haunted house story, more specifically. Trying to access my horror roots, but I'm trying to do something a little different with narrative in an attempt to give a new angle to an old theme. I'm writing it from several different viewpoints and in several different formats i.e. in newspaper clippings, text boxes, as interview transcripts, scenes through camera lenses and via Dictaphone dictations, as well as 'ordinary' viewpoints. I'm also writing from the ghosts' POVs and trying to create their characters as fully as the humans'. It's really hard work though, and I'm hoping I haven't bitten off more than I can chew. But it's time I experimented more with form, I feel, and this seems as good a way as any to do it.
In other news... well, other than work, having a social life and writing, there isn't much other news!!!
I'm not liking the weather here now. Good old England has reverted to type, and I've been totally soaked to the skin twice this week. So not amused. And it's horrible now it's so dark in the evenings. I've been really miserable, what with the clocks going back and PMT. This time of year sucks. And it's Christmas in two months. I would love to escape the country for Christmas, just to get away from the sheer monotony of it. Every year it's the same thing, and I don't like it much. Yeah, I'm an old Scrooge but I can't help it. For me, Christmas just hasn't been the same since the kids were young - Christmas is for kids, really, I think. Their excitement and happiness makes it sparkle. Mind you, I've been invited to a wedding on the 27th of December. One of my students is getting married and has invited me and several others of us to it. It'll be odd going to a wedding - haven't been to one in years - and even odder not to be going as part of a married couple. But it should be fun, and it's something different.
Well, that's my bi-monthly update. I'm going to listen to the fireworks going on outside the house in honour of Guy Fawkes (tomorrow's fireworks night, but they start early round here) Cheers all :-)))